I should start this review by saying that I believe this was an ill fated expedition from the start. There are a few reasons for this. First, I rarely, if ever, read YA books. Not because they aren’t good but because they generally are not gritty enough, or have enough depth to keep me interested….
Continue ReadingRed Seas under Red Skies is the second book in Scott Lynch’s Gentleman Bastards series (the first of which I reviewed a while ago called The Lies of Locke Lamora). This book is set in a different location with different adventures but still follows the main characters Locke and Jean while they try to rip…
Continue ReadingFor what started out as a fairly standard entrence into an epic fantasy series, I was quickly surprised. The plot starts out with strife in the land. The king and his sister are battling over succession. Interspersed in this is the story of two main characters who each have hidden pasts that neither knows about…
Continue ReadingThis has to be one of the best books I’ve read all year. Think mofia and thieves with some magic and a whole lot of trickery and you’ve got the basic premise for this stunning debut work by Lynch. Lynch has a natural talent for telling a tale and an incredible way of depicting reality….
Continue ReadingThere is nothing incredibly unique about the plot of this book. There is a bad empire, and one man knows about them. No one will believe that man, so it’s a “one man against the world” type thing. He has his lovable sidekicks which start out ignorant and age throughout the novel because they endured…
Continue ReadingI really enjoy Marillier’s writing. I think the book itself is written well, the concept is engrossing. I thought the characters were a little bland. Toward the end, the main character really grated on my nerves with her nearly constant weeping. Without giving too much away I will say the characterization is what bothered me…
Continue ReadingThis book is largely a coming-of-age story. There are three main characters the author follows through their formative years. It isn’t until the very end of the novel that the paths actually connect between the three. This is both positive and negative in my mind. It’s interesting to see how each character develops on their…
Continue ReadingI read this book in one day. I haven’t done something like that in years. I started it at 11 and stayed up late to get through the last page. It truly is a stunning work that deserves the classification as “art” rather than “novel.” Marillier is an amazing author. Every part of this book…
Continue ReadingWhat if the gods were real, and were slaves to the king? That is the premise for Jemisin’s ground breaking work and that is why I wanted to read this book in the first place. Such an idea is very new and unique in fantasy, a genre filled with perfect and unperfect; black and white;…
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